Alabama men’s basketball team ran into a 3-point scoring machine during the second stop of its exhibition tour in Canada, losing to Carleton, 84-71, on Wednesday night.

For the second straight game freshman guard John Petty led the Crimson Tide in scoring. He had 16 points, followed by freshman guard Collin Sexton with 15 points, 8 assists and 5 rebounds. Sophomore forward Braxton Key netted 14 points. The rest of the team was 10 of 39 (.256) from the floor and 1 of 9 (.111) from [Treyville].

Ravens made 12 shots from beyond the arc and outrebounded the Crimson Tide, 44-34.

“This was one of the games that we, as a coaching staff, had circled on the schedule because this team has historically done really well against some of the most high-level American universities that have come over here to play,” Alabama coach Avery Johnson said in a release. “We knew they were going to play physical, rebound the basketball and shoot threes, and they did all of those things.

“This is strictly an evaluation trip. We had the chance to play six or seven different lineups, play a lot of different guys and look at a lot of different match-ups. We didn’t do as good of a job on both ends of the floor that we are capable of, but this was a great learning experience for our team.”

Freshman guard Herb Jones did not dress for the game because he’s in concussion protocol and will miss Alabama’s final game in Canada. Sexton left the game in the fourth quarter, but Johnson was quick to calm injury concerns...

Jontay Porter, a Tigers commit and one of the top recruits in the nation, has reclassified and will now be a part of the 2017 class.

6-foot-10, 240-pound power forward from Columbia was originally a Class of 2018 commit, but will enroll in school early. His brother, Michael Porter Jr., is also a member of the Tigers while his father, Michael Porter Sr., joined the Missouri coaching staff this offseason.

South Carolina basketball coach Frank Martin announced on Wednesday that sophomore guard Rakym Felder has been suspended indefinitely.

According to an official announcement from the school, Felder, who’s been suspended since June 30, will not attend classes this fall.

“Due to some unfortunate decisions by Rakym, he has been suspended indefinitely from our program,” Martin said in the release. “I will continue to help Rakym grow as a young man even though basketball is not part of our relationship right now.”

According to the public index search on the Richland County website, Felder was arrested on July 13. His charges include assault and third-degree assault and battery.

Last fall, Felder was arrested and charged with simple assault and resisting arrest, among others.

Following that suspension by Martin, Felder averaged 5.6 points and 1.3 assists per game, to go along with a 42 percent shooting clip from behind the 3-

He was expected to compete this season for the Gamecocks starting point guard job.

Coach Michael White followed Billy Donovan, generally regarded as one of America's top collegiate coaches before he jumped to the NBA to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder. In his second season leading the Gators, White led Florida to the 2017 Elite Eight, assuring all Gators fans he's the right man for the job. It gets better. Florida could secure SEC preseason favorite honors with Kentucky.

A few months ago, Missouri athletic director Jim Sterk did what any campus leader must consider when he wants to clean up a mess. He opened his wallet. The seven-year, $21 million deal for coach Cuonzo Martin --

It would be a surprise if Green, Diallo, Knox and Washington don’t start. That fifth spot might be up for grabs. Earlier this summer, we projected Killeya-Jones to take that starting job, but Gabriel (who started 23 games as a freshman games before fading in February) apparently had a transformational offseason — both in mind and body —

Calipari and his recent obsession with “positionless” basketball means he won’t hesitate to play without a true 5 man. If he wants one, though, look for the towering freshman Richards (whose game is just beginning to take flight and whose work ethic is already impressing in Lexington) to seize a starting job.

Whatever happens, Kentucky’s top 10 guys will play real minutes —with Baker perhaps getting the fewest if other outside shooters emerge. I doubt Calipari wants to go back to platoons, but he has the horses to do it this season in spurts if the occasion calls for overwhelming an opponent with numbers.

More likely, though, is that the Cats will mix and match and deploy a few specific lineups depending on the desired effect. A few we have in mind, outside of those projected starters...

Coach Billy Kennedy said the family of one player, junior guard Chris Collins, lives in Friendswood, Texas, which is about 25 miles southeast of Houston. The first floor of the family home was flooded, causing the family to retreat to the second floor.

Another A&M player, Josh Nebo, was stranded alone in his Houston home. His mother could not get from her job at a hospital to the house, Kennedy said.

After staying in daily contact with calls and texts, Kennedy sent an assistant on Wednesday to bring Nebo to College Station. Flood water prevented the assistant from driving to the player’s house. So they met a few blocks away, Kennedy said.

A record rain fall in one day — “20-something inches,” Kennedy said — flooded some streets in College Station. But there was no serious damage.

Tcxas A&M converted its basketball practice facility into a center for donations of clothing, food and other supplies.

“It’s been a cool thing,” Kennedy said of the volunteerism inspired by Hurricane Harvey. “A lot of people stepping up.”

On Sunday, UK Coach John Calipari will stage a “Teaming Up for Texas” telethon intended to raise money for hurricane relief. The telethon, which will be staged at Lexington television station WKYT, will air from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m.

LSU’s first-year men's basketball coach will make his SEC debut against the league's reigning regular-season and tournament champion when Kentucky comes to the Pete Maravich Assembly Center for a Jan. 3 matchup with the Tigers.

The opening portion of the Tigers' 18-game conference schedule won't be easy. After tangling with Kentucky, their next two games are on the road, at Texas A&M (Jan. 6) and at Arkansas (Jan. 10).

Kentucky will likely be in the top five in the preseason rankings despite losing three members of the SEC’s All-Freshman team to the NBA draft.

"It’ll be a huge challenge for us," Wade said. "We have the best program in the league coming in here first, so it'll be a big challenge. Kentucky will be talented and well-coached. ... They'll be long and will defend well. It'll be a big-time challenge.

"Not only that, but we'll face another talented team on the road in Texas A&M, and Arkansas is a tough team to beat in Bud Walton Arena. It's a treacherous start to league play for us."

The game at LSU will be the second in conference play for Kentucky, which takes on Georgia in Rupp Arena on Dec. 31.

Felder, a sophomore, was indefinitely suspended from the Gamecocks basketball team after he was charged with third-degree assault and battery on July 13. He’s not taking any classes this semester at South Carolina.

“Rakym made a mistake and he’s paying for it,” Martin told Jon Rothstein. “He’s an unbelievable young man. We still haven’t gotten into the conversation about him long-term yet, as a player, because we’ve been trying to help him as a person first, so he and I speak almost daily and we’re going to continue to figure out a way to help him, so he can succeed as a human being, and as soon as we can get to that place, then we’ll start talking basketball.

“For now, he continues to be my guy and hopefully we can one day re-engage, from a coach-player perspective.”

A key piece off the bench on last season’s Final Four team, Felder averaged 5.6 points, 1.5 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game. His best performance came during South Carolina’s Sweet 16-clinching win over Duke, when he scored 15 points, grabbed 4 rebounds and handed out 3 assists.

Last fall, Felder was arrested and charged with simple assault and resisting arrest.

His current suspension has been in place since an incident outside a bar on June 30, which led to charges two weeks later.

In a recently released statement from his attorney, Neal Lourie, Felder expressed remorse for his actions.

There are plenty of pieces with which to build a championship contender, but how do all those pieces fit together for Kentucky?

ESPN analyst and former Virginia Tech coach Seth Greenberg got to see the new team practice —

“Their overall length and athleticism is ridiculous,” Greenberg said. “This is the longest Cal team I’ve seen in a long time. They could legitimately start four 6-9 guys and a point guard — or Hami, a point guard and three 6-9 guys. Their versatility, their skill level, their athleticism, their length could be devastating defensively and at the rim.”

We wrote about this two months ago, noting that this season’s team will feature seven players who are at least 6-foot-8 with wingspans of 6-11 or greater — same as the freakishly long 2014-15 team that went 38-1. So that’s a good start.

What about individuals who caught Greenberg’s eye? The first name out of his mouth might surprise you — but it shouldn’t.

“I was really, really impressed with Vanderbilt,” he said of the 6-9 freshman forward whose hype would’ve been much bigger had he not struggled with injuries for more than a year. “He could be an elite defender. He’s long, good off the bounce, got quickness, carried himself the right way.”

“Knox is the best shot-maker of that crew,” Greenberg said. “He’s going to have to stay engaged. He has versatility, because you could post him up — and I think John will sometimes — but I’m not sure he’s going to be able to guard the way Vanderbilt does.”

Engaged is a word that is equally important, if not more so, for Diallo. He’s a 6-5 shooting guard with a 6-11 wingspan and 44 ½-inch vertical. But he also has enough holes in his game that he pulled out of the 2017 NBA Draft and returned to school for a chance to prove he can play.

“I think Hami’s got to understand how hard he has to play,” Greenberg said.

Wenyen Gabriel, Kentucky: There was consistent chatter all summer that Gabriel was the best player on Kentucky’s campus. If that sentiment holds true, he should be in for a major jump as a sophomore. With Hamidou Diallo, Kevin Knox, and Nick Richards all likely to start for the Wildcats, Gabriel will need to keep gunpowder in his diet to beat out 5-star freshmen P.J. Washington and Jarred Vanderbilt for the starting power forward spot. This is the only returning player with any real experience that John Calipari has back from last year’s team that lost by a possession to North Carolina...

Austin Wiley, Auburn: As Wiley goes, so may the Tigers. After wowing everyone in attendance in Colorado Springs for USA Basketball this past summer, this big man suffered a stress fracture which kept him from competing on the Tigers’ foreign tour. For Bruce Pearl to have Auburn in the NCAA Tournament mix, he needs Wiley to produce like an All-SEC player.

5-star freshman forward Jarred Vanderbilt is expected to miss three months after suffering an injury to his left foot. He will likely need surgery and plans to return in January.

Vanderbilt, a McDonald’s All-American, dealt with multiple foot and ankle injuries prior to his arrival at Kentucky. His latest injury occurred Friday during team skill instruction, one day before the official start of preseason practice for the Wildcats.

“As I told Jarred, my concern for him is getting this thing right and getting him healthy for the rest of his career,” coach John Calipari said in a school-issued news release. “We’ll miss him on the court, but I want what’s best for him and his family, and right now that’s taking care of this injury and making sure he doesn’t have to worry about it again. With the motor and work ethic I’ve seen from him, I have no doubt he’s going to be better than ever when he returns and will provide us with a huge lift in conference play. Now it’s up to his teammates to hold the fort down until he gets back.”

Fortunately for Kentucky, its 2017-18 roster is loaded with talented and versatile forwards, including former 5-star recruits Kevin Knox, P.J. Washington, Wenyen Gabriel and Sacha Killeya-Jones. But Vanderbilt was no doubt going to — and may yet —

Calipari is about to begin his ninth season as Kentucky basketball coach. Even harder to fathom: For all his freshman-heavy teams, the 2017-18 Wildcats are going to be his youngest yet.

There are many challenges in replacing the top seven scorers — and eight of the top nine —

“Well, it’s two [things]: First of all, Wenyen is playing way better, thank God. So he’s not the same guy he was a year ago. So that one guy you have coming back, he could be in that rotation and be fine. The other guys seem to be freshmen. So that’s one thing: you’re playing freshmen. But the biggest thing is last year, we had like three point guards on the floor almost all the time. Now you’re going to have either one or none that are, like, true point guards. And that’s going to be the biggest change. So you may have a team of where it seems basketball is going to: no point guard, no center. Just players. So now it’s kind of like, ‘OK, that’s different than what we’ve had.’ For the last few years, it’s been three guards. And literally three point guards. Jamal Murray was a point guard; that’s what he is. That’s one change.

“So what I’m looking at right now is different in how we’re playing. Still play fast, play unselfish; we should be a pretty good defensive team if we choose to be. But how we play offensively when you talk that kind of team, I’m in the process right now of meeting and talking with some NBA guys about [what to do] away from the ball. We are a spacing offense and that’s good and we’re not changing that, but you also have to be a movement offense now: hard cuts, a high-motor offense — "

Florida coach Mike White said he feels like the Gators have a chance to be better offensively this season, but may take a step back defensively.

Gators open practice Thursday.

“I think we can be better offensively,” White said. “I’m not sure we’re going to be as good defensively, but we’re going to strive for that every day.”

Gators return three starters and seven players overall from a team that finished 27-9 and reached the Elite Eight for the fifth time in the last seven seasons. Florida is ranked as high as eighth in the country coming into the season in some preseason publications.

White said junior center John Egbunu and freshman center Isaiah Stokes are on track to return from rehab from torn ACL surgeries in January, but said Stokes could be red-shirted this season due to UF’s frontcourt depth.

“We don’t know. They’re going to re-evaluate here in another week or so and figure out where it goes,” Calipari said. “It would be an unbelievable blessing for him or us if he was able to come back and play. We’ll let the doctors and experts deal with that. They wanted to look at it a little more before they make a decision.”

When asked how Vanderbilt’s absence will affect the team, Cal said the loss hurts because he planned to use Vanderbilt in full-court press situations and as the centerpiece of the zone.

“He have been [sic] our best shock blocker,” Cal later added.

A couple of weeks ago Calipari and his program announced that Vanderbilt would miss the first three months of the season with a left foot injury suffered in practice.

But when this year’s preseason SEC ballot arrived, the voting process had a foreign component. And, nyet, not Russian hackers. This strange phenomenon was . . . doubt.

Dependence on freshmen? That was discarded as unimportant in 2010 when coaches and media ultimately voted a freshman, John Wall, the league’s Player of the Year after he led Kentucky to the league championship.

Kentucky’s almost complete lack of experience this coming season caused uneasiness. Then there’s one of the heralded freshmen, Jarred Vanderbilt, being sidelined until January. Then there’s talk of the SEC being on a significant uptick with seven or eight teams possibly making the NCAA Tournament.

Then Calipari likened his players to the 2013-14 UK team that finished tied for second, six games behind Florida. “A talented group of kids,” he said of the current Cats, “but they’re not ready to win basketball games.”

Sunday’s Mizzou-Kansas exhibition mattered to the fans, and it sure as heck mattered to the players out there, who were visually vicious, playing this October game like one they’d play in March.

And so, we learned so much about this Tigers team, unveiled at the sold-out and split Sprint Center.

We all had cooked up starting lineups in our heads – finally, we saw the one Cuonzo Martin himself had.

We all wondered how the teenage big men would fare in the forest — we soaked up more about Jeremiah Tilmon and Jontay Porter in one afternoon than we had in months of speculation.

We pondered how the perimeter players would fit into the scheme — we spotted positives and some wary negatives.

And we, of course, yearned to see Michael Porter Jr. —

As for the starting lineup, Martin made a subtle statement, starting freshman Blake Harris at point guard, instead of incumbent Terrance Phillips (also starting were Kassius Robertson, Porter Jr., Barnett and Tilmon). Both point guards finished with similar minutes, but starting Harris says that his fast feet — on both ends —

OK, so Jeremiah and Jontay — nearly 14 feet of freshmen, whose combined age is the minimum to run for president. In 13 shoulder-bumping minutes, Tilmon looked like a young DeMarre Carroll down there, active and unafraid, bulldozing through (and above) the Kansas Jayhawks. And then consider his last game was against the Belleville West Maroons.

Dave Matter‏Verified account @Dave_Matter 11h11 hours ago

Today's attendance: 18,951, which means one team had at least one more fan. That's 21 short of capacity.

Pete Scantlebury‏ @PeteScantlebury 14h14 hours ago

PPV for Missouri-Kansas reportedly had 16,000 purchases, over $640,000 raised for hurricane relief.

“If you took somebody that didn’t know this was Columbia, South Carolina and blindfolded them, put them in this building, they’d have no idea that they played basketball in this building,” Martin said. “Now, it’s starting to have a flavor that there are two very good basketball teams that call this home and that they play for the University of South Carolina. We’ve made tremendous progress.

“There’s still a long way to go. [Athletics director] Ray [Tanner has] worked his tail off to create better opportunities for the way that we try to conduct our programs, both Dawn and I.

“We can’t allow a momentum that we – I’m saying we, I’m not saying me – that we have created over the last five years,” Martin said. “We can’t allow that to go to waste. They didn’t do that in baseball. … I’m not taking a shot. I love it. I love the fact that baseball here has won national championships and I get to work for that guy.

“I love the fact that when I go to their building, I can see – think about the players that play there. Do you think anyone needs to tell them about the success that they’ve had before them? All you’ve got to do is walk through there. They look around. … I better do right around here. No one needs to tell them, ‘You know what we had five years ago?’

“Our players would walk by and see blank concrete walls. They go out into the arena to play, they had no idea, other than the fact that they play here, that’s what we do here, play basketball. All that needs to change. That’s part of it. … We need some of that personalization for basketball, because there has been some success, so we’ve got to grow it.”